Snyder names new director at Talent Investment Agency

July 20--LANSING -- Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday tapped state government veteran Wanda Stokes as his new director at the Talent Investment Agency.

Stokes replaces Stephanie Comai, who will become part of the leadership team at the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Snyder said in a news release.

"We are blessed to have two strong leaders in Wanda and Stephanie," Snyder said. "The vast knowledge and experience they bring to state government takes both these departments to a new level of leadership and will help continue building Michigan's 21st Century economy."

Stokes is a deputy director at LARA with responsibility for litigation risk management and helps oversee the Bureau of Employment Relations, the Michigan Administrative Hearing System, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Workers' Compensation Agency, and administration of the Freedom of Information Act, the news release said.

She earlier worked more than 15 years in the Office of the Attorney General, where she headed the Consumer Protection Practice Group and was division chief for licensing & regulation.

Comai returns to LARA, where she formerly served as a deputy director.

She left LARA almost two years ago when Snyder created the Department of Talent and Economic Development and asked her to lead the Talent Investment Agency, which is housed there along with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation/Michigan Strategic Fund.

The director of the Talent Investment Agency leads initiatives of the state's workforce development programs and the Unemployment Insurance Agency and advises the governor on talent and workforce issues.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.

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